Bike restore pointers?

KXthrutheTrees
Anyone have any suggestions on cleaning/polishing parts? I know elbow grease goes a long way. I have a 05 KX 250 im trying to show some love to (without throwing all new parts at). Any thought on cleaning up triple clamps, hardware, etc. would be appreciated. Is there a chemical process to make hardware look new again?
Thanks in advance
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Wade221
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Wade221 8/16/2016 1:39pm
8/16/2016 1:39pm


kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 8/16/2016 1:39pm
8/16/2016 1:39pm Edited Date/Time 8/16/2016 1:40pm
Powder coating makes stuff look pretty awesome and last longer. A polishing wheel on an electric grinder bolted to a table helps a lot!
imoto34
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imoto34 8/16/2016 2:24pm
8/16/2016 2:24pm
kkawboy14 wrote:
Powder coating makes stuff look pretty awesome and last longer. A polishing wheel on an electric grinder bolted to a table helps a lot!
Are you talking about a side grinder?

To the OP, WD 40 is a great start with anything. Let us see/know how it goes!
Steely Dan
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Steely Dan 8/16/2016 3:22pm
8/16/2016 3:22pm Edited Date/Time 8/16/2016 3:26pm
Acid on cast aluminum. (Rads, middle section of swingarm, triple clamps, linkage, etc) Hardware is a lost cause because it's zinc coated. The zinc wears off, and the metal is unprotected and rusts.

You'll want to invest in a media blaster. Get a cheap soda blaster from China Freight. Have your buddy filling and shaking the hopper while you blast, and just blast every damned thing.

You can pull all the hardware off, box it up, and mail it away to be stripped and re-zinc coated in whatever color you want. I've done it.

Don't go powder coating everything, it looks like cheap Crayola shit. Shame when you see a bike and can pick 5 colors right out of the Eastwood catalog.

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newmann
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newmann 8/16/2016 3:41pm
8/16/2016 3:41pm
Bolts and hardware are pretty much a lost cause as far as cleaning up. Put bolts in an electric drill and scotch brite or polish the bolt heads. If you want it nice, clean and degrease all of them and have them zinc or cadium plated. Steely mentioned acid on the cast aluminum, but test a spot first. Cast it quite porous and some acids will leave a black or dark residue as it pulls crap up out of the metal. My 2002 CR250 cleanup had me wishing I hadn't done it in some areas. Frame and swingarm cleaned up beautifully but the cast components took a bunch of elbow grease and scotch brite to get them to come back around. If you know anyone with a vapor blaster, that's the ticket to making stuff look new.

some other tips in here

http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/MotoRelated,20/Garage-Sale-Special-Buildu…





Steely Dan
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Steely Dan 8/16/2016 4:14pm
8/16/2016 4:14pm Edited Date/Time 8/16/2016 4:18pm
newmann wrote:
Bolts and hardware are pretty much a lost cause as far as cleaning up. Put bolts in an electric drill and scotch brite or polish the...
Bolts and hardware are pretty much a lost cause as far as cleaning up. Put bolts in an electric drill and scotch brite or polish the bolt heads. If you want it nice, clean and degrease all of them and have them zinc or cadium plated. Steely mentioned acid on the cast aluminum, but test a spot first. Cast it quite porous and some acids will leave a black or dark residue as it pulls crap up out of the metal. My 2002 CR250 cleanup had me wishing I hadn't done it in some areas. Frame and swingarm cleaned up beautifully but the cast components took a bunch of elbow grease and scotch brite to get them to come back around. If you know anyone with a vapor blaster, that's the ticket to making stuff look new.

some other tips in here

http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/MotoRelated,20/Garage-Sale-Special-Buildu…





I know which parts you're referring to. The alloy has a magnesium content that causes it to react differently. On the Hondas, it's the engine cases. Carbs are made out of the same alloy. Yea, don't go spraying it on everything. Don't spray at all. Mix it up in a tub and soak it.

The real trick would be to figure out what "Watts Sauce" is. He will take it to the grave with him.
Steely Dan
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Steely Dan 8/16/2016 4:19pm
8/16/2016 4:19pm


kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 8/16/2016 4:44pm
8/16/2016 4:44pm
kkawboy14 wrote:
Powder coating makes stuff look pretty awesome and last longer. A polishing wheel on an electric grinder bolted to a table helps a lot!
imoto34 wrote:
Are you talking about a side grinder?

To the OP, WD 40 is a great start with anything. Let us see/know how it goes!
Yes

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